


Of Pharaohs and Stars

by LumianaKatenke



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Dipper Pines, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Attempted Incest, But Intermarriage was Common in Ancient Egypt, But it Was Necessary for the Plot, Ford is a Sick Fuck, Historical Accuracy, Human Bill Cipher, I Swear that the Dipper/Ford is TOTALLY Onesided on Ford, I'm Sorry, M/M, Mabel is Dead already, Magic, Older Dipper Pines, Omens, Other, Possible smut, Prophecy, So many tags, Yes the Egyptian Goddess of the Sky was named Nut, grow up, idk yet, so is stan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-06-09 16:52:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15271974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumianaKatenke/pseuds/LumianaKatenke
Summary: Dipper is being forced to marry his Great Uncle Ford because he was in too deep of debt. With no other family to help him, he goes to the Temple of Nut, the sky goddess. He had always felt a deep connection to the goddess and he hoped maybe if he made her an offering, she would give him a way out of this damnable marriage to the old man. Anything would be better than that, even if he became a slave for the temple.Bill's wife and Queen is dead, leaving him with two young daughters. Not wanting to listen to his vizier and marry one of them, as was custom, so he could produce a male heir, he wanders around by the Nile, hoping for an answer. When he returned, one of his High Priestesses comes to him with an Omen, that he needs to seek and marry a man blessed by the stars or his kingdom will suffer. He sends out his soldiers with orders to find any men that could possibly match this description.(Please comment what you think and any questions! <3)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just so you all won't be disappointed here to see what kind of Egyptian names I would have made (if you were expecting them at least) I'm gonna have to apologize because trying to come up with an accurate name for these characters would be impractical time-wise. I would be spending more time researching and editing then actually writing. So for your sake and mine, I'm just going to be using non-Egyptian names.
> 
> Please forgive me, I am mad at myself too because I would love to take the time to make real names for everyone, from the characters from the show to the OCs I will be making, but it just would take too much time. For all of our sake, I will use the canon names and other modern names despite this being set in the Middle Kingdom Era of Ancient Egypt. Just about everything else though, I will do my damnedest to make as accurate as possible.

Dipper Pines storms out of the home of his Great Uncle Ford, furious that the old scribe would treat him this way. There was no way he was going to marry him! Not even if it meant he was forgiven of his debts! He stomped his way down the dusty path towards the village he called home, the late afternoon disk of the sun baking the ground beneath his sandaled feet.

It was the middle of the Inundation and as such, they could not farm until the waters of the Nile recede after replenishing their fields with nutrients for the next growing season. This also meant that he was out of work for the next two months. Even without a steady income, he was already in deep debt because he had to finance both the burials of his twin sister and other great uncle, but also having to pay off the massive debts his great uncle had been dealing with. When he went to Ford, his only living family left, for help paying off his debt, marrying the old man had not been what he meant!

Damn that him, he hoped Ammit ate Ford’s greedy heart and cast his soul to oblivion. He had hardly done anything to help after Mabel and Stan died in the epidemic last Season of the Inundation. He had been too ‘busy’ researching the disease that plagued their village instead of grieving with Dipper over the fact that both of their twins had died. He even forced Dipper to pay for and make sure the mummification and burials of their family was done properly.

If he didn’t know the old man, he would think that he was still angry that Dipper didn’t want to become a scribe too. Sure, he enjoyed writing and reading the language that Thoth himself had taught man. But he rather work in the fields, beneath the open sky and working with his hands, rather than cramped in a stuffy room with local nobles and merchants to keep record. It had infuriated Ford when he first told him, so much so that he had been cast out of his house and had to live with his childhood friend, Wendy.

He had been 15 at the time, and now he was 21. He was running out of what little money he had to sustain himself and wouldn’t last until the new season at this rate. His sun-tanned, muscular frame was already starting to grow weak and thin. His unusually curly brown hair starting to lose its luster.

Dipper sighed, pausing to rest under the shade of a lone acacia tree at the end of Ford’s road. He looked up to the sky for some kind of sign of what he should do. He couldn’t marry Ford, that was out of the question. He wasn’t going to marry for money, let alone to an old man well past his prime. He had originally been planning on possibly marrying Mabel since Wendy was married and no one else in the village had interested him. (AN: Seriously, intermarriage was pretty friggin common in Ancient Egypt. This is one of the reasons why Mabel is already dead, cause I DON’T DO PINECEST.)

But then she died last year and he was left with his egocentric uncle. He couldn’t ask Wendy for help, she was busy raising her two children alone since her husband was ill. The nearest magician was 3 days hard ride on a horse, which for the average person, about a week of walking. He pinched the bridge of his nose and carefully examined the tree for stinging ants before he leaned against a thorn-free patch of trunk. What was he going to do?

If he didn’t pay off his debts soon, he would be sold into indentured servitude under some noble until he paid it off that way. It wasn’t half as bad as marrying Ford, even if he was basically a slave… Wait a minute. He looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken as Ra’s sun-boat neared the first gate of his journey through the duat. He watched as the first stars began to appear on Nut’s heavenly form.

Nut… the Sky Goddess… Her temple was about two weeks of walking away. He’s always had a preference for her, even though as a farm-hand he should focus on Hapi, the God of the Inundation, or Geb, the God of the Earth, or even Ra himself since his life-giving rays are what allow the crops to grow. But he still leaned towards the Sky Goddess. Maybe she could give him an answer, if he brought her a sufficient offering. Maybe he could even just work at her temple for the rest of his life, after all, there was always servants needed at the temples. It would mean he would have to leave the village though, and the physical bodies of Mabel and Stan. But he knew they would not want him to starve to death, nor be put into slavery.

That settled it then. He would pack his few belongings and a gift for the Goddess and leave the village (and everything he had ever known) behind. He made one last obscene gesture towards Ford’s home before returning to the path and heading back into the village.

He had much to do before he left tomorrow morning.

/\/\/\

Pharaoh Bill Cipher’s heart sat heavily in his chest as he wandered the raised banks of the mighty Nile river, subconsciously keeping an eye out for crocodiles, or the far more dangerous hippos. His mind, however, was more focused on the words of his Vizier. It had been 3 years since the death of his beloved Queen and yet he had failed to take a new bride. He was more than ok to leave the throne to the elder of his two daughters, but the white haired Vizier was such a stickler for tradition.

The short, pale, chubby man honestly was extremely annoying to the Pharaoh, but he didn’t have a choice but to keep him on board until he found a sufficient reason to be rid of the creep. His father, the Pharaoh before him, had promised that his main General’s son would be Bill’s Vizier since the boy was worthless for pretty much anything but being a scribe. Even the House of Life had barred him from practicing magic because he was too incompetent to learn proper magic, even if he had some talent in it.

So he was stuck with him, since he didn’t want to upset one of his Generals. They were already on strained terms as it is since the recent loss in the North had let to him demoting the man and promoting a woman in his place. Honestly Veronica was a far better General anyway.

But he was getting off track. He needed to figure out what to do about his Vizier’s recommendation to marry one of his daughters to produce a male heir through her. He grimaced at the thought. Sure, it wasn’t uncommon for such a thing to happen, but he would rather NOT marry one of his own daughters. The idea sickened him.  
That wasn’t a good enough reason to not do it though, according to the white haired man.

Bill grumbled as he sat down on a boulder a safe distance from the reeds on the Nile’s banks. He dragged a hand through his odd golden hair, sweat from the sun’s heat making it slick back. His lapis lazuli-blue eyes scanning the shore for danger even as he tried to relax. The exposed dark brown skin of his torso and lower legs absorbed the sun’s rays, keeping him warm even though the cool breeze from the water blew his white skirt around a little.

He sighs, eyes flicking up to the slowly darkening sky as he decided to try to sleep on the advice. Maybe his mind would provide him a solution as he slept in the form of a dream. With that in mind, he stood and began to make his way back to his palace.

As he approached, he saw a figure race out of the one of the doors and towards him. He frowned, unsure if someone coming in such a hurry was bringing good or bad news. For his sanity’s sake, he prayed that it was good news. He slowed to a stop as one of his servants reached him and bowed to him as she panted for breath.

“My Pharaoh, life, health and strength be to you! Your High Priestess of Thoth has come and requests your audience. She says it is urgent, Great Pharaoh.”

Bill inwardly cringes. If it was a priestess of Thoth here on urgent business, than it likely meant a prophecy has been given. And more often than not, a prophecy meant that there was trouble on the horizon. Outwardly he looked unmoved by the servant girl’s words.

“Very well, have her wait for me in my private meeting room. I will join her after I have been washed clean.” She bowed her head to her Pharaoh before turning and running back to the palace while Bill himself continued at a more relaxed pace. Both because he didn’t want to run and also because he wanted to delay the meeting as long as possible.

He was not looking forward to this meeting.

All too soon, he reached the palace and made his way to his private chambers where a male servant with a freshly shaven head already waited for him with a bath drawn in the pool-like tub. He walked over and allowed the servant to remove his skirt and golden collar, leaving him naked. Bill stepped into the tub, followed by the servant who used a cotton cloth to begin to delicately clean his Pharaoh’s body.

He only avoided the Pharaoh’s groin, having learned early that only the Pharaoh and his lovers could touch there. He handed Bill the cloth before grabbing a jar of scented oils that he massaged into his Master’s golden locks and then the skin of his torso and arms. Bill relaxed a little while he was bathed, cleaning his groin while he waited for the servant to finish.

The servant murmurs to his Pharaoh that he was finished after rinsing the excess oil off before stepping away with the damp cloth and jar of oil. Bill stepped out of the water and allowed the servant to use a larger cotton cloth to towel him dry, drying his groin off himself after every where else was dried. Meanwhile the servant retrieved a clean royal blue robes and a golden collar studded with lapis lazuli and detailed with electrum.

He was dressed and adorned with fragrant oil on his neck before dismissing the servant and heading to his meeting with the priestess. He decided to forgo the kohl since it was evening and he did not have any other meeting after this. A servant waited by the door and opened it for the Pharaoh, closing it behind him after Bill entered the room. Sitting in a chair at the table he used for meetings like this was Thoth’s High Priestess.

She stood and bowed to him. “My Pharaoh, life, health and strength be to you. I apologize for the sudden request of your presence but I’m afraid that this could not wait.”

Bill gestured for her to sit before taking a seat as well. “It is quite alright, Priestess. Please, tell me what is so urgent.” He watched her sit and take a breath before speaking.

“Great Pharaoh, Thoth has blessed me with prophecy. He has decreed that you must marry a man that is blessed by the stars. If you do not, great evil will befall our beloved nation.” Bill visibly tensed. “He says you have one year to do so, or it will be too late to stop the evil.”  
The Pharaoh took a deep, shuddering breath before dryly chuckling, making the Priestess’ eyebrow to raise in question. “When I had prayed to the Gods for a way to not marry one of my daughters, I had not expected this… Thank you, High Priestess. I will have my soldiers search the kingdom over for a man blessed by the stars. I only wish that I had more of a description.”

He stood and waited for the Priestess to bow to him before he left, sending the servant waiting outside the door to send for his Generals and his Vizier.

They would be quite busy until they found this man, blessed by the stars...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the long awaited chapter 2! Sorry for taking so long to get to this, life just kept getting in the way but I am trying to get to this more often. I apologize for the short length, I was going to a Bill's POV too but I felt like he should get his own chapter this time. Anyway, please let me know what you think in the comments, any questions or tips, criticisms or praises, anything at all, feel free to tell me.
> 
> -Lumi

A month had past since Dipper became a servant of the Priests of Nut. He had feared that they would treat him poorly, giving him small portions of food and a wicker bed to rest on in a communal room with other servants. Instead, they had given him his own room with a feathered mattress and he was well fed, working mainly as a cleaner and keeping the sanctuary spotless and removing the meals left for Nut before they could attract rodents and insects. The temple cat, an old, grizzled tan feline, liked to nap on the sow that acted as the Goddess’ vessel when she needed speak to the Priests or someone who came to ask for her guidance or blessing.

The stone pig vaguely reminded him of Mabel’s old pet pig from their childhood, Waddles.  
Occasionally he would also help move supplies into the the storage rooms, which was heavy and exhausting work and he often would sleep deeper then normal afterwards. But it wasn’t so bad really, sure most of what he made went to those he owed money to and he went to bed sore and exhausted most every night, but the cat would sometimes follow him around and curl up in his lap whenever he took a break and he had made a few friends with the other servants.

He was well fed and had a guaranteed job that wouldn’t fully depend on the seasons and he was even promised a chance to work on the farms owned by the temple.

He was actually rather content here.

Then the soldiers arrived.

The brunette was sweeping out the dust that had drifted into the sanctuary when he heard a commotion down at the far end of the hall that led to the courtyard. Curious, he set aside his palm frond broom and wandered down the hall, Saffron, the cat, padding beside him with his tail twitching. Whatever was going on, Saffron wasn’t sure if he liked it. Or at least that’s what Dipper was guessing, the cat was a mystery in itself and it was hard to guess his body language sometimes.

They arrived at the archway leading to the courtyard and stayed back in the shadows, hoping to just be observers in case it was serious. In the center of the courtyard was a small group of soldiers who were talking with the High Priest himself. And from their expressions it was a serious conversation. Dipper had rarely seen soldiers, since his small village had hardly been of interest to anyone and was far enough out of the way of the main roads between the cities that they were often forgotten to exist by most everyone. It never really bothered anyone in the village though, they could easily support themselves and only needed the occasional mason or priest to come for funerals, marriages or things like that.

So when the High Priest turned towards him and gestured for him to come over, the stern, almost bored, gazes of the soldiers eyeing him over, he felt like the cold water of the Nile had replaced his blood, making him shiver nervously as he slowly stepped into the sunlight. He padded over hesitantly, every corner of his brain arguing over possible reasons why HE was being called over, a nobody and newcomer to the temple. Had his Uncle sent soldiers after him? If so how did they find him? What did his Uncle claim he did to necessitate a group of soldiers to retrieve him?

It couldn’t be about his debts because he made sure that the payments were being sent and the letters back had been promising on how long it would take for him to pay them off.

His thoughts continued to race and churning like the Cataracts as he stopped before the High Priest and the, judging from his more elaborate uniform, Captain. “Y-yes my High Priest? You summoned me over, is there something I may do to serve you and the Captain?”

The High Priest nods. “I know you are uncomfortable with this but I am afraid it is necessary, young Pines. Please, reveal your birthmark to the Captain.”

Dipper hesitated and squirmed, not wanting to reveal it but he had no choice if the High Priest himself asked him to. “O-of course, sir...“ He raised a shaking hand to his bangs and slowly raised them out of the way, allowing the Captain to see his birthmark, a perfect copy of the Big Dipper. The Captain blinked in surprise and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I see... You will be coming with us, Pines was it?”

He blinked in alarm, his hand dropping away as panic began to broil under his skin. “E-excuse me? W-why, I-I didn’t do anything wrong!”

The soldier looked at him for a few moments before chuckling. “No, no you are not in trouble. The Pharaoh, life, health and strength be to him, has sent out his mighty armies to search for men who have been blessed by the stars. Well for one in particular but since we do not know who exactly just yet we are to bring all of them back to the capital.”

Dipper relaxed a little but was still very nervous and fearful. “I-I see...“ Then it clicked in his mind. Wait, the Pharaoh?! The God among Men wanted him?! Or- well maybe not him specifically but any man that fit the... rather vague description. “I... Don’t have a choice in this, then. If the Great King has summoned me then I must go. Do I... Do I have time to say farewell? I wish to give my thanks to the Goddess Nut and her Priests for allowing me to take sanctuary in her great temple, as well as say goodbye to the friends that I have made here.”

To his relief, the Captain nods. “We will be leaving in the morning so take your time and be sure to be ready to leave once Ra’s Barque has exited the Duat.” Dipper nodded and with approval from the High Priest, he bowed to them before leaving to head to the Servant’s Housing. Once he was out of sight of them, he collapsed against a pillar, face in his hands as the weight of what he’s been told fully sank in. He, among Thoth-knows-how-many other men have been summoned by the Pharaoh himself for purposes unknown, the only stipulation being that the men had to be ‘Blessed by the stars.’ A vague description that had to mean that there must be dozens if not hundreds of men who were now being herded back to Memphis without explanation.

‘This is insane...‘ He thought to himself as he slowly stood up straight and began to make his way once more. He paused at the sound of a croaking mew and he turned to Saffron and smiled forlornly. “I’ll miss you too, Saffron.” He gave the elderly tom an affectionate pet, kneeling down. “I wish I could take you with me but you are needed here. Bast decreed that there must always be a temple cat in every temple, and until she has chosen a replacement for you, you must remain here.” The cat nuzzled into his hand, looking almost sad. They had known each other for but a month and yet he had grown accustomed to the elderly cat being at his side, his only constant companion. After a few minutes of petting, he stood up. “I should see if I can make some kind of arrangement to continue paying off my debt... Surely they must make an exception for someone the Pharaoh, life, health and strength be to him, himself summons.

Well he supposed he’ll just have to leave a letter to be sent for him after he left. It’s not like they would try to refute that, it was a guaranteed death sentence for any who dared to lie about serving the Pharaoh after all. He walked into his room and grabbed his reed bag, a gift from one of the Priests when he had joined them. It wasn’t anything fancy but it was sturdy and would do well to protect his things. He packed his few belongings into it, leaving out a set of loose cotton clothing for the next day’s travel.

While he packed, Saffron curled up on his bed and watched him with a gaze that could only be read as sad.  
He sighs and reaches over, gently petting between his ragged ears and eliciting a soft, scratchy purr. The young man smiles softly, sitting beside the elderly feline as he pet him. He really did wish he could take him with him, but without another cat to take his place, Bast would become angry and may allow rodents to get into their grain stores. He couldn’t risk angering the Goddess for his own selfish desires.

After a few minutes of relaxing with Saffron, he reluctantly stood and walked outside to go and say his farewells. Depending on how things go, he may not ever see them again in this life.

______________________________________________________________________________

It was after dinner now and the Priests led them all outside where they looked up to see the beauty of the star-ridden sky above them, the body of their Patron Goddess exposed for them all to admire. The High Priest gestured for Dipper to come forward and the brunette reluctantly complied, trying not to shiver under the gaze of his fellows and the soldiers. He really didn’t like being in front of a crowd, it made him want to curl up and pass on to the afterlife.

The High Priest spoke; “Today, as you all know, soldiers have arrived to our temple with a summons from our mighty Pharaoh, life, health and strength be to him,” The words were repeated by everyone. “Our Pharaoh has summoned all men who are blessed by the stars. He is looking for one in particular but has not announced any other identifiers. Following his words, I believe that there is only one man among us who may fit, our young Dipper Pines. For he bears a birthmark of the Big Dipper upon his forehead. What is more of a blessing then to have the very stars marked clearly on your skin?” No one replied.

He continued. “In the morning under the guiding light of Ra’s sun-bark exiting from the Duat, he will be leaving with the soldiers to travel to the capital where he will be brought forth our God-king. I ask of you now to join me in praying to Nut that her child will travel safely and may be of use to our king, whatever his reasons be.” With the end of his speech, they turned their gazes to the sky and began their silent prayers.

Dipper’s own eyes locked onto the constellation that his wears, eyes clouded with concerns and questions. What could the Pharaoh possibly want? Had there been a theft? A murder? There could be any reason at all, but he had been asking for a certain trait with little else to go off of so it couldn’t be a missing person or a runaway criminal or something like that. Not an escaped slave or indebted servant either... He stopped. He should be praying now, not thinking about things that he would learn the answers to in a few weeks. Dipper turned his thoughts to the sky, praying to his Goddess that whatever was to happen, he wouldn’t make a fool of himself before the Pharaoh. He would die of shame if he did that.

After a few minutes, they were released to go back to their rooms to sleep. They would need their energy, all of them. Dipper retreated to his room where he pulled out a sheet of papyrus and ink and wrote a letter to those he was indebted to and told them of his predicament. Once it was finished, he left the weights on the ends so the ink could dry and be ready for him to hand to a Priest in the morning to be delivered. Saffron padded into the room, licking his muzzle clean of his latest kill. The old tan cat jumped onto the bed and curled up, waiting for Dipper to join him. He did, after stripping out of his sweaty, dusty clothes, wrapping his arms around the feline after pulling a blanket over himself, shielding himself from the freezing night air.

He was out like a light a few moments later...

**Author's Note:**

> An explanation of Ancient Egyptian calendars (there were three of them, each for a different purpose, no joke), I’m going to try to mostly stick to the one that splits the year into three seasons (four months of 30 days with 5 ‘Demon Days’ tacked on at the end. If you want to learn about the reason why the last five days, please read about the story, it’s really interesting.) The civil year was divided into three seasons, commonly translated: Inundation, when the Nile overflowed the agricultural land; Going Forth, the time of planting when the Nile returned to its bed; and Deficiency, the time of low water and harvest.


End file.
